The
“A Question of Faith” Interview
with
Kam Williams
White's
Insights!
Angela White is a film
producer, talent and business affairs executive and member of the
Producer’s Guild of America who specializes in creating compelling,
commercial material with a distinct perspective. She is the founder
of Silver Lining Entertainment, a family-owned Multimedia
Entertainment Company based in Los Angeles.
Angela earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware prior to
receiving a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Rutgers
University. While still at Rutgers, she produced the
critically-acclaimed “Hypocritical War on Drugs.”
That riveting, PBS
documentary conducted an uncensored investigation of the so-called
“escalating war on drugs.” Even though the experience sparked
Angela's interest in the entertainment industry, she nevertheless
decided to become a lawyer before launching her career.
Whether renting a
movie or surfing cable TV or Netflix, one would likely have seen some
of her recent films. Her impressive resume includes Busted which was
released by Lionsgate in March and stars Rockmond Dunbar; the dark
thriller, The Sin Seer, which was released nationwide last year and
stars Isaiah Washington and Salli Richardson; the inspirational,
made-for-TV film, Who Can I Run To? starring gospel artists Tasha
Page Lockhart, Marvin Sapp and Jessica Reedy; the romantic comedy,
and My Favorite Five, which stars Rochelle Aytes, Brian White and Jay
Ellis.
Among Angela's other
offerings are 4Play, My Sisters Wedding, The Last Letter, After
Effect and C’mon Man. Here, she talks about A Question of Faith,
her highly-anticipated Christian film co-starring stars Richard T.
Jones, Kim Fields, T.C. Stallings, C. Thomas Howell, Jaci Velasquez,
Gregory Alan Williams and Renee O’Connor.
Kam
Williams: Hi
Angela, thanks for the interview.
Angela
White:
Hello
Kam, thank you for allowing me to interview with you and I am happy
to be here today.
KW:
I was very moved by A Question of Faith. What interested you in the
project?
AW:
Kam,
my executive producer, Dr. Cameron Lewis, woke up one morning and
encouraged me to look for a "faith-based movie" for our
next production, so I started to reach out to my network to see who
had a good inspirational story and found "A Question of Faith"
after a long and extensive search. This script had some of the
elements I was seeking and the writer was willing to allow me to
develop the film into a broader story, which was essential to me and
Dr. Lewis. The film evolved from the initial script and I brought the
director, Kevan Otto, on board. He flushed the story out and made
sure we were able to have a solid plotline from beginning to end that
could be executed on screen
KW:
How did
you go about assembling the cast?
AW:
With
all my feature films, I hire a casting director, and we start with a
wish list of actor's names that we think could embody the story and
characters. My wish list never quite works out, but God always knows
what he is doing as the cast was perfectly made for this film. We had
an extensive casting call in Atlanta, and found at least a dozen,
local Georgia residents, all of whom starred in the picture.
KW:
What
does it mean to you to be the first African-American female to
release a faith-based film theatrically?
AW:
It
is a mixture of emotions from, "Wow, we are in 2017 and there
are still firsts, to I am honored to carry that torch, as so many
before me have done. I would not be in this position if it weren't
for the many African-American pioneer filmmakers who enabled us new
ones to excel at our jobs.
KW:
What's
your target demo? Evangelicals, blacks or general audiences?
AW:
This
film is for general audiences, as we discuss several, timely social
themes relevant to all demographics. Everyone can understand and
empathize with feelings of compassion, loss, anger, feelings of
guilt, shame, and not being able to forgive. The film shows families
in situations that most people can relate to or know people who have
been in those situations and are seeking some form of guidance or
comfort.
KW:
What
message do you want people to take away from the film?
AW:
A
Question of Faith is a powerful story about forgiveness, racial
reconciliation and how God's love, grace and mercy can work in your
life. I would love for people to step back in their own lives and
think about how they can be a better person to their fellow man, how
they can learn that not forgiving can lead to years of anger and
resentment that does more harm than good, how we are all one people,
and how God only sees our heart. A Question of Faith transcends time,
race, gender, class and religious ideology. This is a film that can
open one's heart and make a person reevaluate some of their own
personal life decisions. We want people to walk away knowing the word
of God is there to comfort you and that having faith in what you can
not see is okay, as God has your life covered, and the questions you
may have are already answered.
KW:
A
Question of Faith represents a bit of a departure for you. Were you
more motivated by spirituality than profit in your decision to commit
to the picture?
AW:
I
was motivated by working on a project that could impact lives and
spread the word of God. When our team decided to enter into the world
of faith-based movies, we knew of some films that had a good profit
margin but we knew of so many others that did not do well. So, it was
faith that allowed us to take a chance and work on a project that
could affect so many lives and be in our personal walk with Christ.
KW:
Was
there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?
AW:
I
was raised in the church, in particularly the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church, most of my younger years. My parents always
have put God first in everything that we do, and attending church
growing up wasn't an option for us. I play the piano and started
playing for the church by the time I was 11 years old. So, church
life has always been a strong presence in my personal life.
KW:
Ling-Ju Yen asks: What
is your earliest childhood memory?
AW:
I
can go as far back as sitting with my parents in the doctor's office
at around 5 years of age, and being afraid of receiving a shot in my
arm. My parents just comforted me, and I knew early on I would be
okay.
KW:
Who
loved you unconditionally during your formative years?
AW:
My
mother. Mothers are the heartbeat of their children's souls.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
AW:
Lasagna,
as It is full of different ingredients. Just like us.
KW:
AALBC.com
founder Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?
AW:
Bishop
T.D. Jakes' book: "Destiny: Step Into Your Purpose."
KW:
The
Morris Chestnut question: Was there any particular moment in your
childhood that inspired you to become the person you are today?
AW:
For
me, I would say early on I had to attend many functions where I was
the only African-American child, and this impacted my life early on.
I knew from an early age that I represented millions of people who
had endured atrocities and yet persevered for my generation to be
able to have a "seat at the table." The first time I was
ridiculed and attacked for the color of my skin was around the age of
7 when my parents first moved into an all-white neighborhood. These
early memories defined me as I knew I would have to stand tall and
strong for my family and my race. From that moment, I made sure that
I excelled in school and within my career.
KW:
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?
AW:
My
ancestors.... They paved the way for me to be in the position that I
am in today.
KW:
If you
could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
AW:
Hard
question..... Right now, it would be "peace." Currently,
society is dealing with so many troubling circumstances that chaos
surrounds us.
KW:
Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: With so many classic films being redone,
is there a remake you'd like to produce?
AW:
I
would love to redo Claudine.
KW:
Judyth
Piazza asks: What key quality do you believe all successful people
share?
AW:
A
strong work ethic.
KW:
The
Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
AW:
I just
want people to take away that, no matter what happens in life, you
can always pursue your dreams. And do not let anyone or anything
deter you away from that. I did not attend film school and, today, I
am creating movies that impact people's lives.
KW:
Finally,
Samuel L. Jackson asks: What’s in your wallet?
AW:
History.
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Angela, and best of luck with the film.
AW:
Thank
you Kam and I really appreciate you taking the time of out of your
schedule
